Thursday, October 18, 2012

From the South, warm and gusting …

That’s the wind today … blowing from the mountains, sending the garden chairs this way and that, and creating a sway of trees. The birds have taken shelter in the hedges, or rather all except one has. There is, most certainly, a sparrow hiding in the burner. It would not be enticed out this morning so we’ve shut down any escape hatches for now! It was all quiet when I walked past just now .. not sure what that means.

A day for staying indoors. I discovered the English book seller in Fleurance market on Tuesday and have added to my to-be-read basket. I’ve just finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot –the story of the woman who, unbeknown to her, gave the world HeLa cells. A carefully woven set of tales; of the donor, her family, the impact of what then happened to the cell line and the writing of the book. Compelling reading about science and its relationship with humanity … some salutary lessons revealed but not completely learnt. 

In contrast I’m now reading a Michael Dobb’s political thriller –part of my market bargain. Two of what we decided we don’t want, (and I was not at all sure anyone else would either) for one of the hundreds in the book seller’s collection. Its one way to diversity your reading … and we have a suitcase full of books-to-go in the coming weeks.

Really pleased to hear of Hilary Mantel’s 2nd Mann-Booker win .. can’t wait to read Bring up the Bodies but feel I need to re-read Wolf Hall before I do. Perhaps I’ll wait until the final part is out and read all three.

Time to go … Cauliflower soup for lunch, made with about 1/3rd of Paul’s magnificent first cauliflower to be harvested this year –it weighed 3kgm and the soup is so, so creamily delicious. There are plenty more growing nicely but its touch and go whether the caterpillars will get to them first. At least today, in this wind, the butterflies might have to give up laying their eggs –we can but hope. 

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